Guy of Spoleto

Guy of Spoleto (?-894), sometimes known by the Italian version of his name, Guido, or by the German version, Wido, was the second Duke of Spoleto to bear the name. He was crowned King of Italy, and—at least on parchment— Holy Roman Emperor, though he never set foot out of Italy.

Related Topics:
Duke of Spoleto - King of Italy - Holy Roman Emperor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 842 the former Duchy of Spoleto, which had been donated to the Papacy by Charlemagne, was resurrected by the Franks to be held against Byzantine governors to the south, as a Frankish border territory by a dependent margrave. Among the more outstanding of the Frankish dukes, Guido I divided the duchy between his two sons Lambert and Guido II, who received as his share of Spoleto the lordship of Camerino, which was made a duchy. In 883 Guido II reunited the dukedom, henceforth as the Duchy of Spoleto and Camerino. After the death of Charles the Fat in 888, Guido had himself crowned Roman Emperor and King of Italy by Pope Stephen VI (891). The following year Pope Formosus crowned Guido's son Lambert II as duke, king and emperor.

Related Topics:
Duchy of Spoleto - Charlemagne - Camerino - Charles the Fat - King of Italy - Pope Stephen VI - Pope Formosus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guido's power never extended much hereditary lands, which offered stark illustration of the fact that the imperial title, with its pretentions of universal rule, had by the end of the 9th century become merely a token of the Pope's favor, to be fought over by various Italian nobles. He did not even firmly control the north of Italy, battling Berengar of Friuli over the Italian throne for much of his reign.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

See also

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Duchy of Spoleto